Hampers: EPA’s new ozone rule flawed

API Senior Director of Regulatory & Scientific Affairs, Howard J. Feldman, has said that EPA’s new ozone regulation, called the Exceptional Events Rule, does not correctly attribute ozone precursor emissions that are not man-made, and could hamper states’ abilities to meet air quality standards.

API and many states have expressed these concerns.

“EPA should delay implementing the 2015 ozone standards until adequate tools are available and existing control programs have been implemented,” said Feldman. “The agency has failed to identify an effective process to identify emission sources outside of state regulatory control – most specifically, methods of accounting for the many sources of background ozone.

“Ozone levels have fallen and are continuing to decline under the existing standards as the U.S. leads the world in oil and natural gas production, which has helped lower energy costs for consumers.

“Moving forward with standards and regulations that could increase costs for businesses, significantly impact U.S. jobs and hurt state economies without having an adequate process to craft effective strategies is the wrong path. EPA should get the science right, before requiring states to proceed.”